External Mouldings

Nick from Flinders

I have heard about a lightweight product that is used for external moulding. Do you have any information about it, or even know what it is? And who supplies ... continue reading

Balustrading Options

Elise from Pearcedale

We are renovating our House and are adding a decking area on the second level. We are not sure what options there are available for Balustrading, would you be able to give us an idea of what is out ... continue reading

Solar Power

Renae from Bittern

We are building a new home and want it to be as environmentally friendly as possible. We are looking at having Solar Power, can you help ... continue reading

Heating Options

Christina from Tooradin

My partner and I are building a new house in Tooradin and as theres no natural gas connection down that way, we're wondering what the most efficient heating would be? Ducted heating automatically ... continue reading

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Open House - Waterfront Homes

posted 7 hours ago

You are invited to attend the Grand Opening of the Moomba by Waterfront ... continue reading

Appliance & Air-conditioning Prize Draw Winners

posted 1 day, 10 hours, 49 minutes ago

Thanks to the team from Cool Blast who proudly donated a split/system airconditioner to giveaway for Jan-Feb. Also thanks to Renovi for supplying a $1000 appliance packas the major prize at the ... continue reading

Stratco Pergola 4 Sale

posted 1 week, 8 hours, 3 minutes ago

Looking for a pergola? Check this out first before going anywhere else. Ex-display ... continue reading

Timber Floor Special

posted 1 week, 1 day, 8 hours, 44 minutes ago

Don't miss these specials on Timber flooring... Mountain Timber products are dropping prices on all the following untill 31st May 2010. ... continue reading

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Non-Firable Asbestos Removal Course (Class B)

Tuesday 9:00 am, 23rd March 2010

This WorkSafe recognised course is aimed at supervisors and others directly involved in the process of non-friable asbestos ... continue reading

Certficate III OHS - (Occupational Health & Safety)

Tuesday 8:30 am, 13th April 2010

Participants are required to undertake a range of assessment activities. ... continue reading

Master Builders - Green Living

Wednesday 9:00 am, 14th April 2010

An accredited category of Master Builders course for environmentally aware builders and building public to pursue sustainability options for their constructions. ... continue reading

Builder Registration Course - Cert IV in Building & Construction #2

Friday 9:00 am, 21st May 2010

Recognised by the Building Practitioners Board as the qualification towards registration as a ... continue reading

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Timber Flooring

Timber flooring in your home is not just an attractive flooring option, but is practical to clean, timeless in appearance and long lasting.

Timber Floorboards

Traditional Hardwood Flooring

Timber flooring is beautiful; relatively maintenance free & depending on the timber can be virtually indestructable. Timber flooring holds character which cannot be matched by any other flooring type. The natural knots and colours in timber will enhance and changed in colour over time, making the floor truely unique.

Allergies 

Timber flooring in your home is not just an attractive option, but is very sensible for people who suffer from Asthma, Hay Fever and other allergies. The reason being that timber flooring is protected by a tough layer of polyurethane sealer. This means that no dust mites and particles can inhibit the flooring, unlike carpet etc, therefore triggering allergies.

Timbers

There are a number of timbers that can be used in Timber Flooring, each having there own characteristics and colour. Some of these include: Alpine Ash, Tasmanian Oak, Jarrah, Spotted Gum, Pine, Blackbutt, Blue Gum and the list goes on.....

You can mix timbers to create patterns, or just have a dramatic colour variation and pattern. Some of the patterns you can have include: Parquetry (criss cross), Square on Square, Herringbone, Brick, Borders, Solid Corners, Mitred and Staggered.

Refinishing Hardwood Floors

There is certainly a trend today of restoring older homes. As this continues to be a popular move, more and more people are pulling up existing flooring to find that underneath they have the makings of a beautiful Timber Floor. Refinishing hardwood floors can be easy to do yourself, and you can also save a lot of money this way. 

Preparation

Once you have removed the old carpet, vinyl etc and found the timber flooring you will need to remove the bonded pads, which were holding down the old floor. This can be done by scraping them off with a putty knife. Electric sanders can also be used if the pads are too hard to remove by hand.

Sanding

Local hire shops will generally hire out electric floor sanders. Start by sanding the floors with the coarsest sand paper first, do this about 3 times, each time using a finer sand paper. It is important that you keep moving at a steady pace, to avoid uneven patches. Corners are often sanded too much, because of the machine passing over them more often, so be careful here. Often there will be areas which the electric sander cannot get into; these patches can be done by hand using the same process of using the finer sand paper gradually. Once the floors have been sanded 3 times over, you should be ready to stain them. You should now clean the area; a vacuum clean will do, by getting rid of all the extra dirt and dust.

Staining

After you select a stain for your flooring, you will need to gather up some old rags and old clothes etc to help with this process. Apply the stain in a circular motion with the rags. Try to apply evenly to avoid any colour inconsistencies. The product should display the drying time and other important information on the label. If the stain is too light after the first application, you can repeat until you achieve the desired colour.

Buffing

Buffing is the next step. Once again, you can hire a buffer from a hire shop. You will need to ask how to operate the buffer before you take it home, because sometimes they can be difficult to opertate. Take it slowly at first until you get the hang of it. Again you will need to remove any dust or dirt.

Finally  

The floor will then be ready for its first coat of polyurethane. The easiest way to apply this is by using a mop. This will be easier on your body, rather than going around on your hands and knees for hours. Once the recommended drying time is over, repeat the process twice more making it 3 coats of polyurethane in total.

FINISHED!

Now your hardwood floors should be ready to go! You should wait about 2 or 3 days before using the room to ensure that everything is right. You should also wait a week before putting any rugs down. You wouldn't want them sticking to the floor would you?!

HIDC Exhibitor(s) who specialise in this area;

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Masterplus - Mornington

Mountain Timber Products

Royal Oak Floors